Latest Reads: Fatal Inheritance Rachel Rhys

Out of the blue she receives a solicitors letter. A wealthy stranger has left her a mysterious inheritance and in order to find out more she must travel to the glittering French Riviera.

But while she rubs shoulders with film stars and writers under the heat of the sun, rivals to her unexplained fortune begin to emerge. Alone in Paradise Eve must unlock the story behind her surprise bequest before events turn deadly…

I loved “A Dangerous Crossing ” from Rachel Rhys, pen name of the incredibly talented Tammy Cohen and whilst I still love her psychological thrillers I have to say these stories are where her beautiful writing lives and breathes.

Fatal Inheritance is a classic family drama with hints of mystery done in such an absorbing and beautifully crafted manner that you just live the whole thing from the moment you start until the moment you, very reluctantly in my case, leave it behind.

The historical aspects are authentic, the setting of the French Riviera, post war, comes to vivid gorgeously described life, the glamour and the dark side, utterly compelling.

Into this setting comes Eve Forrester, leaving her rather dull husband behind her, trying to find out why a stranger to her has included her in his will. Here she meets his family, the Lester’s, all suspicious of her and her motivations. Soon she is living an entirely different life to the one she knows but dark secrets abound and danger lurks.

The characters are truly memorable, one of the things I absolutely adored about this was how Eve came to change and adapt and finally discover her own self worth. She is a highly engaging character on her own but the group dynamic plays into the themes being explored and her growing relationships with all the people she meets along the way form the heart and soul of this novel. It is utterly riveting, totally addictive and highly immersive.

I’ll never forget Eve. Or indeed Gloria who is one of the standout characters here amongst an extraordinarily strong cast. The sense of time, that post war era when everything and everyone was adjusting to a new reality is captured pitch perfectly and is hugely emotionally resonant.

Fatal Inheritance is a glamorous novel with a dark dark heart. I adored every minute of it and I genuinely can’t wait to see what Rachel Rhys brings us next.